Commander Taybar was sat at the rear of the runabout. She’d just ordered some Raktajino from the replicator and sat down to drink it. It would be another couple of days before the Hudson reached Earth and ever since leaving Starbase 173 three days earlier, she’d been wondering why she’d been called back to Earth.

With the tensions regarding Supply Base 901 beyond the Briar patch, the Starbase had been put on high alert. And during all this, she’d been called back to Earth, along with her executive officer Lieutenant Ka’Leth. This meant that the fighter squadron the ‘Angry Angels’ was left in the hands of junior Lieutenant Lana Lang. Although Lang was a capable pilot, especially when in combat, she lacked the experience of command.

The Raktajino tasted a little too sweet for her taste and she went back to the replicator. She’d grown used to way the Klingons replicated it, having spent two months some years back on a Klingon K’Vort class bird of prey as part of the Starfleet officer exchange program.

Just then her XO came into the rear of the runabout, a large Klingon, dressed in a scarlet command uniform. Ka’Leth was unlike most of the Klingons Aki had met, having attended the Academy, she guessed he’d grown used to being around humans.

"There’s a Raktajino on the table." Aki remarked. "It’s too sweet for my taste, but I’ve hardly touched it."

Ka’Leth, unlike Aki liked the sweetened Raktajino that most Humans preferred. He’d never liked the ‘real’ Klingon coffee, finding the taste a little too bitter. It was only when he started at Starfleet academy that he’d been introduced to the ‘Humanised’ version.

"Thank you Commander." He replied, taking a seat at the table and sipping at the hot liquid.

Aki joined the Klingon with a fresh, unsweetened Raktajino, sitting opposite the Klingon.

"I’ve been reading up on this Admiral Devore." He remarked. "Until about a month ago, he was the Captain of an Akira class vessel."

"Which one ?" Aki asked.

"The Leviathan-A I think." Ka’Leth replied. "Why ?"

A smile came across Aki’s face. Ka’Leth just looked at his commanding officer and friend. It was rare to see Aki smile, especially since she’d returned after injury. The process of becoming joined with the symbiont had changed her, but only those who had known her before could see the subtle differences.

"Anyway. He was promoted to Admiral by Admiral Ross himself and assigned to the Deep Range Fleet. He’s now in command of all Starfleet personnel operating within the Beta quadrant." Ka’Leth continued. "Do you think this has something to do with the Mullurans and the G’Kar. Before we left, I noticed that activity along the Romulan borders was beginning to rise. Although the Mullurans and the Romulans have never fought each other, if the Federation were to join with the Mullurans, then the Romulans would be caught on three sides."

"But if the Romulans were to ally themselves with the Mullurans." Aki replied.

"I know." Ka’Leth replied. "It could give the Mullurans access to the Federation borders along the neutral zone, by-passing the Briar patch. All the Starbases along the neutral zone would be targets."

"What I can’t understand is why they’ve requested both of us." Commander Taybar stated. "If Starfleet was expecting an attack, then why risk leaving one of the Starbases closest to the Briar patch and the neutral zone under-defended."

"I guess we’ll find out when we reach Earth. I’ve not been back to Earth since leaving the Academy. Several old Academy ‘buddies’ are stationed on Earth, I’m hoping that I can meet up with a few of them." Ka’Leth stated. "How about you ?. Got anything planned."

"We may not have time to socialise." Aki replied. "But if there is time I will probably visit my parents." Aki replied.

Just then a voice came over the intercom.

[Commander, Lieutenant. We’ve just received a communiqué from Starfleet. The Dominion is back or at least a faction of it and they’ve allied themselves with the Mullurans. The G’Kar has requested military assistance from the Federation and that appears to have been granted. As of now we are officially at war with the Mullurans and the New Dominion.]

"Thank you Lieutenant." Aki replied. "We’ll come back to the cockpit in a minute."

"So what now ?" Ka’Leth asked.

"I just don’t know." Aki replied, draining the last of the Raktajino from her mug. Rising from the table, she took both mugs and placed it on the replicator pad, pressing the recycle button. Then both officers headed for the cockpit.