Cmdr Skyleena Blake, "Dawn's due."

[Deliera Jay]

((USS Veritas))

Commander Skyleena Blake's footsteps echoed against the carpeted Bridge. The ship's temperature gave her a slight chill. There was nothing wrong with it, according to her Human colleagues, but for the last six years, Blake battled constant colds exacerbated by the temperature that never suited her personal needs. She wanted to hate it. She often complained about it. But the truth was, Blake couldn't hate it. The blonde Brekkian Betazoid had grown accustomed to it. It was a familiar discomfort, one she could trust. If it wasn't chilly, something was wrong.

...the ship's temperature never used to make her nostalgic. 

The executive officer's thoughts were drawn to how things were five, six years ago. She'd been recruited to Veritas to help solve a Brekkian problem -- and Blake had once been a Brekkian Starfleet officer. Captain Rosa Carrero had felt bringing her aboard was a smart idea. Some disagreed; trying to work with Brandon Cormac for the first few months had felt like pulling teeth. He felt Blake's "shrouded history" indicated a penchant for danger, or at worst an active attempt to mislead them. They'd resolved it eventually -- lucky, too, since a little under a year later, Captain Carrero was murdered on Shadow's Edge.

The original Veritas crew was replaced. Zhou Tai-Sheng, though the ship's first officer at the time, did not become captain. Instead, Starfleet sent Captain Roshanara Rahman and her senior staff. What followed was a stressful romp across Shadow's Edge in search of Evan Delano. Blake hadn't felt comfortable with it. She stepped away after several months and became a Ranger. Cormac convinced her to go back. She did. There were ups and downs -- she'd take time away when she needed it to go off on some small adventure, like Kidman I. The cycle continued until Blake started using the term "home" synonymously with "Veritas". She always came home.

She pressed the chime to the Captain's ready room.

Rahman: Response?

The executive officer stepped through. In her chilled hands was a PADD, containing the offer Benjin Ranjoes had put to her.

Blake: Sorry to disturb you -- I was hoping you had a few minutes?

Rahman: Response?

Uncertainty tainted every step forward Blake took. 

Blake: After we rescued the miners on Antor, I received a communique from the CCMS Chief Marshal Benjin Ranjoes.

Rahman: Response?

The Brekkazoid sucked in a deeper breath, dropping into one of the chairs on this side of Rahman's desk. She placed the PADD onto the desk's surface rather gingerly, as though it would crack under the faintest of pressure.

Blake: Ranjoes has been working to bolster CCMS's capabilities as a police force for the Colonial Coalition. She informed me she's trying to foster open communication between the services of the Federation and the Colonial Coalition, try to improve reaction time to things like the Tholian threat, or even just the relationship Starfleet installations or the KDF have with the marshals, for example. Since it's... been a little difficult trying to convince everyone to play nice.

Rahman: Response?

Blake: Her vice chief just stepped down. She needs a new one.

Rahman: Response?

Blake's fingers laced between one another as she rested her elbows on Roshanara's desk.

Blake: When we spoke last about my career, I told you I wanted to go back to the rangers. And part of me still does, but... Ranjoes wants me to be Vice Chief Marshal. And I think I can do a lot of good for the Shoals in that role.

Rahman: Response?

Tbc . . . 

Cmdr Skyleena Blake

Executive Officer

USS Veritas

C238803SB0

--