Location: USS Paso Robles, CO Ready Room

Renato was sitting in his ready room. The Paso Robles was now enroute to Deep Space 404 aka Overwatch Station. There new home base of operations. His mind was focused on Ensign T’Shan. They had a meeting going on right now.

They were heading to the station for resupply. They were suppose to meet up with a civilian transport vessel, and pick up the supplies. They had to meet in the system, but they could not use the station as a depot.

The Station was too small to really host him and his crew on a regular basis. And it was to small to store anytype of deliveries.

The idea was the civilian transports needed a location to drop off merchandise right now Paso Robles would be there to pick it up. Eventually there would be two additional ships joining their division but for the time being it would just be Renato’s ship.

“Ensign T’Shan reporting as ordered.” The Vulcan Helmsman called out. She stood at attention. She was eager to know why the Captain had summoned her. She hoped she was not in trouble.

“Please have a seat Ensign.” Renato suggested to her with a motion of his hand.

T’Shan took a seat as directed. “Thank you Captain.” She simply said.

“You did a remarkable job today, and I wanted to say thank you.” Renato said, with a big warm smile. He continued on. “Helping us to manually overcome the affects of the blackout phenomenon allowed us to operate at 25% of our standard operating power. That was pretty ingenious, Ensign.”

“Praise is not really needed, Captain, but I believe an appropriate response would be. You’re welcome.” T’Shan said in response. The two continued to talk for a while.

Location: USS Paso Robles, Bridge

“T’Shan walked on to the bridge, the captain was still in his ready room. She noticed the first officer Lieutenant Commander Mira Solwick, sitting in the center seat.

“I would say take your station, but it’s your lunch rotation.” Mira pointed out to the Vulcan Helmsman.

“I just returned from the ready room, I’m ready to go back to my duty station.” T’Shan said, trying to be a team player and not just go for one meeting directly to lunch.

“Well I appreciate that, the helms on and auto course so it’s not like you be doing much anyways. Go have lunch.” Mira insisted to T’Shan.

“I don’t suppose I could talk you out of a commander, can I?” T’Shan asked.

“Nope.” Simply replied Mira, to hero is important that every crew member had a lunch, and she didn’t want to hear from Rosa that some of the crew missed lunch and ate from the replicator.

“Aye Commander, I’ll be heading to the mess hall now.” T’Shan said that she started to head towards the turbo lift doors.

“Wait up Ensign.” Malek the chief of the boat called out, he started to make his way to the turbo lift. He was relieved to see that T’Shan was holding up the door for him.

Location: USS Paso Robles, Turbolift 1

T’Shan kept the door opened for him. The Ferengi Chief Petty Officer came into the door, and as the door shut he called out “deck six, engineering section.”

T’Shan then called out, “deck six mess hall.” she looked over to Malik for a second, and then at the bulkheads. She wasn’t really sure what to say to him. After a moment she finally said. “Everything okay in Engineering?”

Malek was a little surprised she said something. Normally she was quiet around him.

“Everything is good Ma’am, just my daily tour schedule. Decided to go a little earlier. Keep my crew on their toes.”

T’Shan was a little surprised by his comment. Keep them on their toes seemed inadequate use of their time and productivity. She kept her thought process to herself.

As she processed his remarks, she realized he meant a surprise inspection. “Good luck.”

She said as the doors swished open and she stepped into the corridors near the mess hall.

“Thank you ma’am.” Malek said as the doors swished closed.

Location: USS Paso Robles, Mess Hall

T’Shan walked into the mess hall and grabbed some vegetables and a salad before walking out to the main floor. She could see Lira talking with Zara. For a moment she debated about interrupting them.

Lira noticed her and motioned for T’Shan to come over to chat with them. She decided to walk over to him. She had a lot on her mind, most of it about the mission they had just completed.

Lira and Zara on the other hand, had other things on their minds. “You almost missed out on the gossip, T’Shan.” Lira suggested as she looked over to her, and then back at Zara.

“Oh?” Simply replied T’Shan was curious about the gossip, despite her tone not reflecting what her mind was thinking. She wanted to know more information.

“Zara here has a crush on Teral.” Lira said with a big teasing grin on her voice.

T’Shan was puzzled, why was this gossip, and why wasn’t Zara calling her out, for blabbering out the information. Most humanoid species would be embrassed by this type of revelation being given out to strangers.

“I am not sure if I should congratulate you or lecture my friend Lira for releasing this sensitive information out?” T’Shan said as she looked over to Zara.

Zara just smiled, as she responded. “I see that sense of humor you were talking about Lira. It’s okay, I dont mind you or Lira knowing.” Zara suggested to T’Shan.

“Why do you believe that you have a crush on him?” T’Shan asked, curious by this sudden revelation by Zara.

“Well you see….” Zara started to explain , as the scene starts to fade away. The three ladies were sitting in the mess hall, as Zara started to explain why she had a crush on Teral.

The ladies talked for a bit, as the scene starts to fade away. The crew of the USS Paso Robles, start to become as a family. This moment in time, is a classic example of that. In this story we learn that the cost of war is high, the crew of the SS Wolverine plus their passengers lost their life. However, it shows the crew of the Paso Robles that need to break down their barriers and become a family, if they are going to survive this war they need to become a family and prepare together for what may come next.

THE END