It had only been a couple of months, but to Tw'eak, pulling on the tunic of her Starfleet uniform weighed her down with a gravity well's worth of anxiety. She wasn't ready for this sudden, unexpected return to duty. Yes, the situation demanded it, and at least until Starfleet could stabilize the situation, her rank (even if she was retired) demanded that she take charge and seek to resolve what had happened. An ancient enemy, an unanticipated rift opening to an unknown space... these were the opening moments of awful holo-novels. To actually be called upon and respond to such a moment, here, in the reality she called her own, in the space right over her very head, led to a sort of latency in her acceptance of what was happening. She knew that it was; it was the believing that it was happening that was taking a while.

She carefully placed the warm outfit she had been wearing during her walk with Va'Kel back into the drawer of her dresser, then took a look at herself in the mirror. She tugged on the hem of her tunic, straightened her pant leg seams with a couple of quick pulls around the waist, and affixed her rank insignia on their places on either side of her collar, then took another deep breath. Just one last piece to the ensemble.

She walked over to her desk and retrieved her commbadge from where it rested next to her computer console. She let the chevron of metal rest in her palm for a brief moment, tracing its lines and considering its symbolic shape. This was the emblem which had represented her and everyone else she had ever served with, the sign of the Federation's capable defenders, affixed proudly to maps and documents and even upon the starships themselves. It marked them out as committed to the principles for which the Federation stood, as striving to live up to those principles, aspiring to uphold the freedom and dignity of all sentient beings, even those yet unknown. And it symbolized their willingness to stand up for those principles, to fight for them and even die for them should the need arise.

All of that made the commbadge, too, feel unbearably heavy.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said.

Dashii stepped inside, looking to try and find her. "Hey, Twaiheak, did you - whoa." She rocked on her heels slightly. "So obviously somebody got in touch with Starfleet already."

"I did. It's Aurora duBois' ship, oddly enough."

"So you're going."

The look in Dashii's eyes was hard for Tw'eak to figure out. Was it disappointment? Or resignation? Or both, perhaps? Either way, she wasn't pleased to see her sister in uniform again.

"Not for long," Tw'eak said, scrambling to reply. "I just need to check in - they're two ships dealing with a planetary crisis, and I'm the ranking officer in the system."

"Right. Because chief among Starfleet's many problems is an admiral shortage."

"Dashichal. That's not fair."

"No, it's not. But..." Dashii's hands whirled over her head, indicating the rift.

Tw'eak's antennae came forward, curling downwards. "I know."

"We just - I put my whole family on a freighter and we took off, not knowing if we'd ever come back, and then - Uzaveh be praised, the day's been saved, and it's you that did the saving, hurrah. We were safe, and it was over... and now this. It just never ends and I feel awful. Helpless."

"I can understand that feeling."

Dashii raised a finger. "No - don't you dare do that."

"Do what?"

"I don't want to hear from Admiral sh'Abbas right now. I want to talk to Twaiheak."

"Dashii - that's who I am."

"Which one?"

Tw'eak folded her arms in front of her. "You're asking me to choose?"

Unconsciously duplicating her sister, Dashii folded her arms as well. "I - yeah. Maybe I am."

"Then you're not going to like my answer."

Dashii stamped a foot impatiently. "I knew you'd do that."

"Look, if I stay here, just put up a sign that says 'Retired - Go Away', does that close that rift up there? Does that put things right? I have to go, do what I can and maybe fix what those Klingons messed up."

"What if you can't? Huh? What then?"

"Then I let you know. Or Sassil. Someone. And then I make sure we get you all on the first transport out of the system."

"That's not what I mean." Dashii threw her head back, her antennae flared out wide, her eyes closed. "I knew this would happen. You were just waiting for a reason to leave."

"Now that is very unfair of you to say."

"Is it? Just for once we were all here, together."

"Safe," Tw'eak added.

"Yeah - safe. All of us, for once."

"But don't you see? That's why I'm going up there. I can keep everyone safe, us included. And I can't even make the attempt without this uniform. They gave me this rank and let me keep it - I might as well put it to use."

Dashii shook her head. Tw'eak sensed that she had made an impact. It took a moment, one in which Tw'eak waited in silence rather than comment further, before Dashii finally stammered out, "I don't even know what you're supposed to do up there."

"I never do - until I get there. And then I just ...hope for a solution."

Dashii was still shaking her head, involuntarily. "I can't believe you're going."

"I was just thinking to myself, before you came in here, how I can scarcely believe any of this is happening, either. But it is, and it's now, and I've gotta see what they need... what I can do. It's all I can think of to do."

Her hands on her hips, Dashii walked a short way off, then turned back to Tw'eak. "Just be careful, okay?"

"You, too. Maybe pack up for a couple days. I'll see if Aurora has a space onboard for the six of you - and Sassil, too."

Dashii looked at the floor, considering the offer. "That might not be a bad idea. Just in case." She nodded. "I'll check with the others - I know Pholl hates staying anywhere else but here, but she can get over it."

"Alright. I better get going."

The door, which had remained open throughout this entire exchange, admitted Pholl'rem to the room. "I'm over it." She smiled and gave Tw'eak a little wave. "Just saying."

"Uzaveh's name," Dashii cursed. "You heard that whole thing?"

"This residence has soundproof doors for a reason." Sassil stepped into the room as Pholl'rem leaned back out. Her eyes met Tw'eak's, her antennae straight up in the air. "I support your decision, for what it is worth."

"Thank you."

"A worthy warrior must always seek cause for their skills to be tested in new challenges."

"Yeah, because that's what she's doing." Dashii rolled her eyes.

Sassil glanced confusedly at Dashii. "Is it not?"

"Well, I mean, yes. But - sort of." She gestured animatedly at Sassil. "You just don't have to say it like that."

"Like what?"

"You know... you just sound so..."

Sassil took a step towards her sister, almost menacingly. "Say it."

"No."

"I sound 'so Klingon'. Is that not what you intend to say?"

"Can I just interrupt for a moment?" Tw'eak put herself between Dashii and Sassil, and hugged them both. "I'm going to miss these little duels."

"We are not dueling," Sassil snarled.

"I'd win if we were," Dashii shot back. "You probably still drop your left shoulder when you lunge."

Sassil snorted in a rage. "And you probably still stand as stiff as a saber bear in your fighting stance!"

"I'll show you who's a saber bear!"

"Pholl?" Tw'eak called out to Dashii's bondmate. "Say 'bye to the others for me. Take care of the kiddos. No ushaan until I get back. I'll be in touch."

"For sure," Pholl'rem replied from somewhere down the hall.

Tw'eak took a step back, then tapped her commbadge. "Starship Minerva, this is Admiral Twaiheak Sh'abbas, reporting in and standing by for transport."

With a quick nod to her sisters, Tw'eak dematerialized and returned to service.