Crepuscolo

Disclaimer: Same as before.

Central Command
Cardassia City, Cardassia
2375

Legate Sarn Breslau felt the harsh light of Cardassia's sun shining into the rubble-strewn room as he stood up from behind his desk. Blinking his eyes as walked around what passed for his office as well as his home.

Looking at his chronometer he knew that his principle subordinates would be on their way. They'd moved the bodies out of what was left of Central Command. As he walked Breslau felt every one of the eighty-two years he had lived. And more.

'The capital looks marginally better than Lakarian City.' Breslau thought as he walked, with a slightly stooped gait, towards the exit of his office. As he reached the door he forced himself into a more upright posture, one befitting a Cardassian officer and not a man who had lived eight decades and seen his homeland's near utter destruction in the span of the past month.

He heard the weak pneumatics of the door activate, noticing the door froze halfway along its track. Turning to one side, Breslau sucked in his slight paunch as he squeezed through the narrow opening.

'I doubt I'll have much more of a belly after what has befallen my homeland.' Breslau thought as he walked down the partially lit hallway. What lighting remained flickered intermittently. He stepped into the conference room, noting, with some grim satisfaction, the destroyed Dominion emblem on the floor.

The sentry standing near the doorway shouted the room to attention. Breslau gestured with his right hand to signal for his subordinates to sit down.

"How bad is it?" Breslau said.

Gul Sigol Armad stood from his seat, "Three quarters of the fleet destroyed, and nearly all of our remaining fleet damaged in some form or other."

"And said fleet is sitting in orbit, with barely skeleton crews manning them while Federation, Klingon and even Romulan technical teams scour every square centimeter of every ship!" Gul Alon Kamar exploded.

"To be fair the late Skrain Dukat bears a great portion of the blame for this, gentlemen."

"If it hadn't been for us they wouldn't have been able to break the line! And this is how we are repaid?!" Kamar snapped angrily standing up.

'Kamar, your passion is appreciated in most instances but not right now.' Breslau thought to himself.

"Stand down, Alon," Breslau ordered.

The other three Cardassians in the room sat as silent as the two sentries standing at the door. After a brief pause Breslau said, "We are all that remains of the Cardassian military's command staff. We must act accordingly. And that starts with respect, gentlemen. I respect the three of you and I expect the same."

"Yes sir," Kamar replied, duly chastened.

"Now, the land forces?" Breslau asked.

The hulking form of Gul Gar Izad stood from the table, hands heavily bandaged. "Same state as the Fleet, if not worse sir. At least 85% of our soldiers were killed or wounded trying to keep the Jem'Hadar from destroying our world."

"So where do we go from here?" Kamar asked.

"We must keep our society stable, gentlemen. But we must not follow the well trodden path of men such as Skrain Dukat." Breslau stood from the table with a greater vigor belying his eighty-two years.

"Must we put our faith in institutions such as the old Detapa Council? Weak willed souls like that invited Skrain Dukat into power!" Kamar exploded angrily.

"Following militarism in the vein of Dukat did us little good as well." Breslau observed.

"Then what shall we do?" Izad asked, his eyes narrowing.

"We shall guard the lives of our civilian population as is our mandate. We shall support and guide the civilian leadership such as it is. Neither the militarists that birthed Skrain Dukat and his ilk, nor the acquiescing weaklings of the Detapa Council was the right path. A middle path, gentlemen, is what we must follow." Breslau said.

USS Argos (NCC-14229)
Outside the Nostalgia
2375

Lieutenant Kat Derringer, Security Chief for USS Argos, lightly brushed a stray strand of her chestnut brown hair away from her forehead as she rounded a bend in the corridor. As she did so she noticed a blur of movement and looked down just in time to see a small laughing child running through the corridor nearly collide with her legs.

"Jarriko!" a male voice shouted, "Come back here!"

Kat looked up in time to see a stocky man in his late thirties wearing the brown uniform of the Bajoran Militia with neatly cropped jet black hair come striding around the corner at a fast walk. He stopped short of colliding with her.

"Terribly sorry Lieutenant," the Bajoran said.

Kat quickly glanced at the man's collar before she replied, "It's alright, Major…"

"Captain, actually," the Bajoran replied as he tapped his rank insignia.

"Only Captain Benson rates being referred to as Captain," Kat replied.

"Alright, so I gather that's why you called me 'Major' just now?" the man replied as he lifted his young boy into his arms.

"Exactly. Starfleet tradition dictates that there is only one Captain aboard our vessels. So in your case protocol states you'll be referred to as Major…"

"Girani. My friends refer to me as Dannik."

"Kat Derringer." She smiled at the two Bajorans.

"This young man is my son, Jarriko."

"Hi Lieutenant Derringer," the little boy said as he looked around the corridor with several decorations festooning different fixtures.

"Hi, little man," Kat replied, gently extending her hand. The boy shyly clung to his father's neck.

"He's a bit shy," Dannik said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Can I help you with anything?" Kat asked.

"Actually, yes," Dannik said, "I can't make heads or tails of these Okudagrams. Do you think you could help us?"

Kat led Dannik to a panel with an Okudagram. She tapped the display with her right index finger twice and said, "We're right here, near Turbolift 2. Where are you trying to find?"

"The Nostalgia, we'd like to get something to eat before we go get some rest," Dannik replied.

"Oh you guys are less than 5 meters away that way." Kat replied.

Captain's Log, Stardate 522998.51. Less than one day remains in the year 2375 and the maiden voyage of my new command is the day after tomorrow. Certainly an auspicious way to welcome the year 2376…

USS Argos (NCC-14229)
Bridge
2375

"Captain," Aaron said with a nod as Olivia stepped out of the turbolift onto the bridge. No more open diagnostic panels or wiring being installed.

"Are we on schedule?" Olivia asked.

"We're ready for a commissioning on New Year's Day followed by our maiden voyage the day after, sir." Aaron nodded with a smile.

"This crew put in a lot of work, especially these past few weeks. They've definitely earned the day off today till tomorrow's commissioning ceremony," Olivia replied as she took a walk around the bridge.

Aaron fell into step beside her, looking out through the viewscreen at the enclosed space of the docking bay, and the entrance into open space. Olivia said, "To think in a little less than 48 hours we're flying out of this docking bay."

"Are you ready?" Aaron asked.

With a deep exhale Olivia said, "As I'll ever be."

"Any plans for New Year's Eve, sir?" Aaron asked.

"Well, Commander, if you must know I plan to ring in 2376 with Noah. He wants to see the ball drop in Times Square on the comm system tonight."

"Hope he manages to stay awake this time." Aaron remarked.

"Did he stay awake with you last year?" Olivia asked.

Aaron chuckled. "Nope, out cold around 2115 with his head in my lap."

"Aww." Olivia said with a smile, "He couldn't stop talking about the little climbing wall you built him for his birthday."

"Glad he loved it," Aaron replied as he handed Liv a PADD.

"What's this?" Olivia asked.

"Our Bajoran Militia Liaison Officer arrived on the transport from Earth earlier this morning. With his son. Our security chief got them settled in quarters."

Olivia nodded before heading for her ready room, "I'll go grab Noah and we can head to the Nostalgia for lunch."

"Heard there's a nice little NYE celebration going on over there. Master Chief Pickles is running it," Aaron replied.

"It's been going for at least an hour, according to what Kat told me." Olivia observed.

"Lou and Morgana had talked to me the other week about a New Years Eve event for the crew in the Nostalgia," Aaron replied.

"I remember, I signed off on it," Olivia replied.

"I'm surprised you remembered that particular request among the hundreds you and I both have had to sign," Aaron quipped.

"What about you, Commander? Any plans for New Years Eve?" Olivia asked.

"I plan to have lunch in Nostalgia and probably have a quiet evening in my quarters. After all Noah's with you this week."

"Let me guess, you're gonna have yourself a limeade at the Nostalgia and a scotch on the rocks in your quarters, watch the ball drop in Times Square and fall asleep?" Olivia smiled as they entered the Ready Room where Noah was sitting on the couch playing with a PADD.

"You know me all too well." Aaron grinned toothily as they walked into the brightly lit room.

"I have known you for fifteen years, Aaron." Olivia smiled right back at him.

"Should've known you'd use my own argument from a couple of days ago against me." Aaron jokingly rolled his eyes.

"Why not come over? We can have dinner, spend some time with Noah."

"Sounds pleasant," Aaron replied, "Unfortunately no limes on the Key lime tree, yet. So the pie and limeade will be replicated."

"We'd both be happy to see you either way." Olivia replied as she guided Noah to the floor and the boy walked alongside his parents, holding his mother's hand as they walked towards the turbolift.

USS Argos (NCC-14229)
The Nostalgia
2375

As Olivia and Aaron walked through the doors of the Nostalgia they were greeted by applause by several crewmen.

"Captain on deck!" Master Chief Pickles shouted before blowing into a noisemaker.

Olivia took in the sight of several members of the crew and their families amidst confetti and decorations before smiling and saying, "Carry on."

"Sir." A brown uniformed Bajoran with a small child in his arms said as he walked by.

"You must be Major Girani," Olivia began as she turned to face the man, holding Noah in her arms as she did so.

"Good morning, Captain Benson," Girani replied.

"Hello," Noah said to the small Bajoran boy in Girani's arms.

The other little boy beamed and replied, "Hello."

Olivia set Noah down at the same time Girani set Jarriko down. She heard Major Girani utter something in rapidly spoken Bajoran which caused the little boy to smile.

"Noah, go play with your new friend. Just stay in this room, okay?" Olivia said.

"Okay Mommy!" Noah beamed before he and Jarriko ran amongst the balloons and confetti on the deck.

"Welcome aboard, and Happy New Year, Major."

"Thank you, sir. And the same." Girani replied as he watched his son and Noah running around the place while Olivia and Aaron walked towards their table.

"Certainly a lot more festive than things were last year," Aaron commented as they weaved their way past a group of celebrating crewmen.

"There isn't a war going on, for once." Olivia smiled at him as they reached their table. She sat down as Aaron pulled her chair out to let her take a seat.

"Even last year took the cake over 2374 by any stretch," Aaron replied as he took his own seat across from her.

"No argument here."

"I hated worrying about you every time the USS Centaur went out and I was stuck on Starbase 375." Aaron confessed.

Dobb walked, before stopping to take their orders. Aaron and Olivia ordered their drinks before she headed over to the bar.

"I felt the same way when they assigned you to the USS Destiny before Kalandra last year." Olivia replied.

"The Cardassians put up a hell of a fight, even if we had the intelligence advantage." Aaron soberly replied as Dobb returned with their drinks.

"My heart stopped when I heard you got wounded," Olivia sipped her glass of wine.

"It did make sitting down a dicey proposition for a few weeks," Aaron quipped as he sipped on a mojito.

Olivia chuckled, "And you felt like you were the butt of some of the crew's jokes."

"Not my finest hour but I pulled off a good job even with pieces of transparisteel sticking out my backside." Aaron smirked at his own expense.

"Captain Raymer spoke very highly of your work aboard USS Destiny. Her report said you're a capable First Officer." Olivia sipped at her own drink.

"I also recall she questioned my sanity when I volunteered to serve under you." Aaron took another sip of his drink.

"That sounds like the same Mandy Raymer I knew," Olivia replied.

"Very opinionated?" Aaron asked.

"Coming from you? That's very ironic given your nickname of 'Arguing Aaron'." Olivia looked away for a bit, seeing Noah and Jarriko tossing a balloon back and forth.

"You know me all too well, Liv." Aaron smirked, following Olivia's line of sight.

"Noah's making a new friend already. That's so cute," Olivia observed as the two little boys continued to run and play.

Major Girani sipped his glass of spring wine, leaning against a bulkhead as he watched his son Jarriko playing a chase and run away game of some sort with Noah. As he did so he heard the sound of the Nostalgia's door opening.

"I see you found the place," Kat began as she walked into the room.

"I did, thank you."

Kat followed Girani's gaze as he looked away briefly, to watch his son. She smiled. "Seems like your son found a new friend."

"I'm glad for that." Girani replied.

"It's taking some getting used to, seeing kids on starships again after the wars." Kat mused.

"Jarriko grew up in space."

"Really?" Kat asked.

"He was raised aboard DS9," Girani replied.

"You worked security there, right?" Kat's eyes flickered to Girani's brown militia uniform.

"Yeah, actually alongside my father, a Sergeant Major in the Militia of all things. My mother worked as a physician under Dr. Bashir."

"Name drop much, Dannik?" Kat asked with a smile.

"Not at all." Girani replied.

"How old is Jarriko?" Kat asked while Noah was chasing Jarriko around the table where Olivia and Aaron were sitting.

"Five as of two months ago." Girani smiled as he watched his son playing, "It is good to let him be a child."

Kat ran through the information in her head. 'The kid had to be born after the Cardassian Occupation.'

"I recalled Vedek Yassin's words about the children born after the Occupation," Kat began.

Girani's expression darkened. "I've little use for the Prophets and the cliche that they work in mysterious ways."

Kat was barely able to keep her expression neutral. 'Bajorans sure can be opinionated, but I've never run into one that's turned from his own Gods before.'

"Sorry about that, the occasional crisis of faith makes for terrible conversation." Girani sighed.

"It's alright," Kat replied.

The two of them watched Noah and Jarriko go running along the outer perimeter of the room, giggling and laughing as they weaved among tables, chairs and standing adults.

A clang and a crash sounded just then followed by the sound of glass breaking resounded through the room. Girani sighed as he saw one of the decorative columns set up in the room fall and take out a glass display atop it.

"Children." Girani shook his head as he headed over to where his son and his new friend stood glumly beside the fallen display.

USS Argos (NCC-14229)
Captain Benson's Quarters
2375

"Well his batteries are finally wound down," Aaron quipped as he felt Noah nestled in his arms as he and Olivia headed for her quarters.

"At least he found a new friend. He was worried he wouldn't make any here." Olivia stepped to the door and heard the pneumatic hiss as it opened. Aaron followed her into the quarters and said.

"So want him on the sofa or put him in his room?" Aaron asked.

"His room. When he gets up he'll come find us." Olivia smiled as she followed Aaron into Noah's bedroom, watching Aaron take off the boy's shoes and socks before laying him on the bed and tucking him in with a kiss on the forehead.

"I wish I had a holoimager for that." Aaron observed as he stepped back from the bed.

He walked with Olivia into the living room. Before Olivia sat down she ordered the vidscreen to show the Times Square festivities for New Years Eve.

"Two limeades with one sprig of mint." Aaron told the replicator. After the drinks were dispensed he walked towards the sofa with a drink in each hand. Then he handed the one in his left hand to Olivia before sitting beside her on the sofa.

"To a successful maiden voyage." Olivia raised her glass.

"Cheers," Aaron replied, gently clinking his glass against Olivia's before taking a sip of it. 'For being my ex-wife I sure as Hell spend a lot of time around Liv.'

"I'm glad Noah found a friend. It was kind of embarrassing that he took out that decorative column, though." Olivia rubbed her left temple with her free hand with a groan.

"That's little boys for you. Rambunctious, running at full tilt and then crashing just as rapidly," Aaron replied chuckling.

"I'd be worried if Noah wasn't like that." Olivia smiled.

"They'll provide us with plenty of memories as we get older." Aaron took his and Olivia's empty glasses to the replicator.

"Someone once said, 'I wouldn't miss it for the whole galaxy'." Olivia commented from the sofa.

"That's twice in one day you've quoted or paraphrased me."Aaron joked.

"What can I say, every so often you say something that's just quotable." Olivia replied as she watched Aaron walk back to the sofa and sit down beside her.

"Do they teach backhanded compliments in the pre-command course?" Aaron quipped, seeing Olivia cross her legs.

"Get yourself promoted and find out."

"Noted," Aaron replied before both of them heard a pneumatic door open and both of them saw Noah walking out of his bedroom.

"Hey Sleepyhead." Olivia smiled as she stood up from the sofa with Aaron in tow.

"I'll get dinner started," Aaron replied before trudging over to the replicator.

"Noah, go help Daddy with the place settings," Olivia said.

Noah walked over to get the place mats and utensils as Aaron set dinner and the sides onto the table before everyone sat down at the table. The meal was a relatively peaceful sort of occasion and once all dishes were in the replicator the three of them moved back to the sofa to watch the events in Times Square.

"Mommy, when's the ball gonna drop?" Noah asked Olivia as he sat by her left side on the sofa.

"In a couple of hours, Pumpkin," Olivia said before turning to her right to see Aaron mouth the words and mime a sleeping person to her right, 'Twenty-two thirty'

Liv smirked as she saw Noah yawn.

Aaron whispered, "Dinner on the loser, first shore leave?"

"Aaron, don't even think about it," Liv whispered.

Noah yawned again before closing his eyes and laying his head in Olivia's lap at around 22:25 hours.

Aaron mused, "I guess I owe you dinner."

"Trying to weasel out of your own wager?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Liv." Aaron replied with a smile before standing up from the sofa as Olivia scooped Noah into her arms.

Olivia walked with Aaron to her front door and, pausing a couple paces from it she said, "Happy New Year."

"Same to you, Liv." Aaron turned to face her, smiling before he stepped out of her quarters. After a brief pause he added, "Good night."

"Good night." Olivia smiled back before Aaron turned around, walking out the door after hearing the hiss of its pneumatic mechanism.

USS Argos (NCC-14229)
Outside the Nostalgia
Last Fifteen Minutes of 2375

"Commander, up to join the party in the Nostalgia?" Master Chief Lou Pickles said as he stepped into the corridor in time to see Commander Aaron Carlyle walk by.

"I can stop in for a drink, sure," Aaron replied.

"You were walking like a man on a mission." Lou stepped further into the corridor.

"Wanted to have a look at the USS Oriskany." Aaron held up the PADD in his left hand.

"Plenty of time to do your personal post blast forensics later, sir," Lou replied.

"True enough. But I still would like to have a look at Oriskany before we get underway the day after tomorrow." Aaron glanced at the chronometer on his left wrist. '2345. I can grab a drink and celebrate with the folks still going strong.'

Aaron followed Lou into the Nostalgia in time to see a brown-haired fellow, lean with a lean build wearing the red of the command division downing a yard of beer with several crew members cheering him on with Hal standing there with an old fashioned stopwatch.

"I have to admit I'm impressed," Lou remarked.

"About what?" Aaron asked.

"Well Lieutenant Finch, our fearless flight controller, just downed his third yard of beer in a row." Lou replied.

"Pilots can surely put them away," Aaron mused.

"So do EOD operators. Why, fifteen years ago I was a security crewman. I recall a few drunk EOD techs telling me EOD stands for 'Everyone's Drunk." Lou smirked.

"Every Other Day. Alternately it also stands for Everyone's Divorced," Aaron commented as the two men walked to the bar.

"Two beers please," Lou asked the Bajoran bartender.

"Which one, Master Chief?" Dobb asked with a smile.

"I'll take the Lake Lyot Pilsner." Lou said to Dobb.

Dobb smiled and filled one tall, thin pilsner flute glass and then a second, handing them to the two men.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six..five...four...three...two...ONE!" The shout resonated off of the bulkheads.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Came the shout around the Nostalgia.

"Happy New Year, Commander," Lou said, raising his glass.

"Happy New Year, Master Chief," Aaron replied, lightly clinking his glass against Lou's.

"How's the Captain?" Lou asked in a low voice.

"Putting our son to bed," Aaron replied, eyes narrowing, "Why do you ask?"

"She's seemed a bit tense since Mr. Hollom's little announcement," Master Chief replied.

Lou glanced around the Nostalgia taking a long pull of the Lake Lyot Pilsner, letting the cool, crisp liquid roll off his tongue and down his throat.

"Given her past history with those kinds of missions, I'm not surprised. Combine that with the fact that we're about to launch the day after tomorrow. I'd say that's about normal," Aaron began.

"Are you saying that as a First Officer or as the Captain's ex-husband?"

"Cutting to the chase there, Master Chief?" Aaron took another pull of his beer.

"Yes sir."

"On both levels. First as a man who's known Captain Benson for fifteen years and counting. Second as a Starfleet officer with a little under nineteen years of service under my belt." Aaron took another drink.

After another pull at his glass, Aaron asked, "What's your concern, Lou?"

"Nothing now. I'm glad to see my conclusions are similar to yours. The three of us are a command team and as such, we are Captain Benson's chief sources of support." Pickles replied.

Aaron nodded in agreement.

TBC