The Winding Road
Posted on Tue Sep 15th, 2026 @ 7:47am by Staff Sergeant Shayla Kunadt & Lieutenant Commander Rhevan Teral & Captain K'mir Valadorn & Lieutenant Junior Grade Jali Valadorn
Edited on on Tue Sep 15th, 2026 @ 7:53am
2,504 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 18 - The Edge of Darkness
Location: Serenity
Timeline: MD003 1200 hrs
Shayla sat in the pilot seat of the Serenity. She had not expected to pick up passengers. But, Lieutenant Commander Jax had other plans when she arrived. So, now the hold was full with supplies for the Pioneer, and she had three other people on board. "Sirs, we should reach Camp Nostromo in three hours. The Pioneer is in orbit and holding position." She reported. The tension in here can be cut like a knife. she thought. The idea of a Romulan senior officer, and a Klingon senior Marine in the same room sent a feeling that Shayla would not like to describe in the pit of her stomach. However, she knew whatever there may be between them would be better sorted out here than aboard the Pioneer.
Rhevan had settled into one of the passenger seats behind the Serenity’s forward flight compartment, his travel case secured nearby while the remainder of the runabout’s cargo space had been given over to supplies bound for the Pioneer. The Type One Delta Flyer was considerably more substantial than the smaller personnel shuttles he had spent far too much of his career being folded into, with enough room for its passengers to occupy their own space without becoming involuntary participants in one another’s conversations. That was perhaps fortunate given that two of his travelling companions were Klingons. Rhevan had recognised the Valadorn name, although recognition was not the same thing as familiarity, and he had so far been content to leave the two of them to themselves. He had served alongside Klingons during the Dominion War and understood better than most Starfleet officers that there were few quicker ways to sour a journey than treating one simply as an opportunity to study the Klingons in the room.
From where he sat, Rhevan had a clear enough view towards the forward compartment to observe Staff Sergeant Kunadt at the controls without hovering over her shoulder. The diminutive Marine had been all business from the moment the Serenity departed Empok Nor, and Rhevan had quietly approved of the change. Whatever energy she possessed away from the controls had narrowed into something considerably more precise once she was flying. Her corrections were small, the runabout rode cleanly beneath them, and there was none of the unnecessary flourish sometimes employed by pilots who wished their passengers to appreciate that they were being piloted. When she announced that Camp Nostromo was three hours away, Rhevan looked up from the PADD resting against his thigh. “Thank you, Staff Sergeant,” he replied, his tone easy enough. “Three hours is quite civilised.”
Camp Nostromo rather than the Pioneer itself caught his attention more than the journey time. His orders were straightforward and the ship was apparently already holding in orbit, yet their destination remained the surface. There were dozens of perfectly mundane explanations for that and only an impatient officer would begin questioning a pilot who was almost certainly following the flight plan she had been given. Rhevan simply retained the detail. If there was something unusual waiting at Nostromo, it would remain unusual three hours from now, and presumably someone there would possess both the authority and information necessary to explain it.
He let his attention drift back through the cabin for a moment, resting briefly upon the two Valadorns before returning to the darkened screen of his PADD. The journey had unexpectedly placed a Romulan, two Klingons and a Human Marine aboard the same small vessel on their way to the Pioneer. There had been periods of Rhevan’s life when such a passenger manifest would have required considerably more weaponry and several layers of diplomatic clearance.
His thumb brushed the edge of the PADD without waking it.
Three hours was also more than enough time to decide whether he intended to read Laira’s reply before reaching his new ship.
K'mir stood up and walked to the replicator and ordered a large Black Death Raktajino and too a sip and turned to face the Romulan. " So Lieutenant Commander, since we are on the same transport, I assume that you and i are going to the same assignment or at least the same working area. I know there are more Romulans entering service with the federation as well as Klingons, I hope we work well together."
Rhevan looked up as K’mir approached, the sheer size of the Klingon difficult to ignore even from a seated position. His attention had already taken in the war dagger strapped along the Captain’s right leg, its House Hurric markings distinctive enough to register without Rhevan needing to stare. The second weapon was harder to overlook. The oversized bat’leth rested inside a clear travel case beside K’mir’s wife, its proportions well beyond the standard pattern Rhevan remembered from years spent serving alongside Klingons during the Dominion War. Neither weapon concerned him. Both told him something about the man carrying them.
“I would assume so,” he replied, lowering the PADD onto his thigh and giving K’mir his full attention. “I’m joining the Pioneer as Chief Security and Tactical Officer, so if your assignment is with the Marine detachment, I imagine our paths will cross rather frequently.” His gaze moved briefly towards the cased weapon before returning to the Klingon. “Though I don’t believe I’ve seen a bat’leth quite that size outside a collection. I assume there’s a story attached to it.”
There was no hesitation when K’mir mentioned Romulans and Klingons entering Federation service. Rhevan had lived through too many shifting alliances, fallen governments and wars fought beside yesterday’s enemies to find much novelty in that anymore. “I’ve served alongside Klingons before. Some considerably less pleasant than others,” he said, the dryness in his voice restrained rather than provocative. “The same could be said of Romulans, Humans, or practically anyone else I’ve met. Species has never struck me as a particularly reliable measure of whether someone is worth working with.”
He held K’mir’s gaze without challenge or deference. “If we both intend to do our jobs well, Captain, I expect we’ll manage perfectly well together.”
"I find that to be perfectly acceptable." Stated the large Klingon. " I am Captain K'mir Valadorn of house Hurric. " Like you, I serve in the Federation, now I know what your view is I believe we will work well together. You will see me in you area since my wife will be working in your department and I'll meet her after her shift is done. When you have the time perhaps we could have a drink and talk, A chance to get to know each other better."
Rhevan set the PADD aside and rose from his seat, meeting K’mir on his feet rather than leaving the Klingon standing over him. There was no challenge in the gesture, simply the old courtesy of acknowledging someone properly when names were finally being exchanged. “Rhevan Teral,” he replied, offering K’mir a respectful inclination of his head. “Lieutenant Commander.” His attention then shifted naturally towards the woman seated near the cased bat’leth. “And Lieutenant Valadorn. A pleasure.” He afforded Jali the same consideration he had given her husband, neither reducing her to K’mir’s wife nor turning the moment into an assessment of an officer he had yet to work with.
When Rhevan looked back to K’mir, some of the formality had eased from his expression. “I’d be happy to take you up on the drink. I’ve generally found it useful to know the people around me before circumstances make the introductions considerably louder.” The faint dryness in his voice carried the humour without labouring it, and he remained standing for the moment rather than immediately retreating behind his PADD.
For the time being, Jali had been quiet, observing the interaction between her husband and the man who, rather obviously, she'd be working with.
Three hours for a flight, that wasn't too bad. Her eyes showed keen interest in who would be her boss. Though... she also was wary. She wasn't one who was going to make snap judgements on the fact that he was Romulan.
She did, however, wish to gain further information about him. Jali had met different Romulans over the years and knew that one couldn't be judged by the actions of another. Still, there was that wariness. Perhaps some of it came from the old feelings between Klingons and Romulans.
Growing up, she had also heard the anger of her older brothers, whose mother had been killed in battle against Romulan warbirds. Some of that had rubbed off on her when she was young, even though her own mother and father had taught her not to judge an entire people by the actions of a few.
Some of her own experiences hadn't exactly helped to put that old wariness completely to rest.
When Rhevan turned his attention towards her, Jali rose from her seat.
"Commander," she said, giving him a respectful nod.
Jali then sat back down, her attention shifting towards the front of the Serenity. She had been watching Staff Sergeant Kunadt from time to time during the flight as well. The woman seemed quite comfortable at the controls.
Leaning forward, Jali asked,
"Staff Sergeant, how long have you been flying?"
Shayla had listened to the exchange and was glad that the tension had been eased at the very least. It still seemed a bit formal but now it was less threatening to become a full out fight. "Ma'am I joined the Corps to be a pilot. Been flying ever since, so fifteen years now." Shayla tapped a few commands to adjust course for a comet's trajectory. "There is simply something freeing about having a ship and the entire galaxy at your fingertips."
Rhevan remained standing for a moment after Jali returned to her seat. The acknowledgement had been technically correct, brief enough to satisfy courtesy and little more, before her attention moved cleanly elsewhere. He did not take offence. Offence was usually an indulgence, and far less useful than information. What interested him was the choice behind it. A junior officer meeting her new department head for the first time normally offered something more, even if only out of professional instinct. Jali had elected not to. Whether that came from reserve, irritation, old Klingon habits concerning Romulans or something entirely unrelated, Rhevan had no intention of deciding without evidence.
It did, however, move Lieutenant Valadorn from a name on his personnel roster into a rather more prominent place in his attention. He had spent too many years around people who concealed hostility behind protocol to mistake politeness for acceptance, and too many more in Starfleet to assume every awkward interaction concealed hostility at all. Jali would have the same opportunity as everyone else to show him who she was. The difference now was that Rhevan would be watching when she did.
His gaze returned to K’mir, the change so smooth that there was nothing openly confrontational in it. “I think I may take you up on that drink sooner than expected, Captain.” A faint, almost pleasant curve touched one corner of his mouth as he reached for his PADD. “Clarity is a courtesy I’ve always valued.”
Jali had that prickling sensation of Rhevan's intense gaze towards her, plus she had caught a glimpse of him turning his head in a small reflection, upon a piece of metal. He was observant, and rather alert. She tucked that away in the back of her mind.
Caution was the word of the day, along with observation. She wasn't one who would think that she would or could disappear in the shadows, There will come a time, when she and Revan will end up speaking.
She had also heard what he said to K'Mir. When the two men meet, she will not be there. As one needed to find out about each other without an audience.
She spoke in response to Shayla, as Jali turned her gaze out towards the stars. "I can understand the draw."
"Once I joined the Corps, I was trained as an EVAC specialist. It is my job to get you in, and out. A lot of interesting scenarios for flying." Shayla went on to say.
K'mir pulled a flask from his vest And took a swig and then handed it to Rhevan. " It is called Santory, A Japanese whiskey from Earth. It doesn't have much of a kick to it, But it wouldn't do showing up to a new station and being intoxicated." He turned to Jali. " Come Jali and have a drink."
"I would like to talk more about that." Jali responding to Shayla with a smile.
At the K'mir's words Jali turned towards him, and looked towards Rhevan and her husband.
Before she moved to join K'mir and Rhevan, Jali remarked to Shayla. "I'd like to talk more with you sometime. Sound good?"
"Yes ma'm" Shayla replied and then adjusted course. "It seems the powers that be are on our side. A shift in gravimetric forces in the area forced me to change course. However, the course correction has shortened our eta."
Rhevan accepted the flask from K’mir with a small inclination of his head, turning it once in his hand before bringing it closer. The whisky carried a softer scent than most Romulan spirits he knew, warm with grain and wood rather than the sharper herbal bite he was accustomed to. “Sensibly chosen,” he said, the faintest amusement touching his expression. “There are few worse ways to meet new colleagues than while attempting to remember which one of him is real.” He took a measured sip, enough to taste rather than indulge, then offered the flask back towards K’mir as Jali moved to join them.
Rhevan raised his gaze to the Klingon captain, the earlier formality between them having eased by a degree. “To new assignments, then,” he said, giving the flask the smallest lift before returning it. “And to learning who we’ve found ourselves serving beside before the universe decides to make the introductions on our behalf.” There was a quiet edge of humour beneath the words, but nothing forced about it. For the moment, that seemed an adequate beginning.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Commander Rhevan Teral
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jali Valadorn
Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
Staff Sergeant Shayla Kunadt
EVAC Specialist HQ, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Captain K'mir Valadorn
Company Executive Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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