Stardate: 74577.35
Time: 2137 hours
Location: Alpha Quadrant – Starbase 72

Vausees sat in the center command seat as the Heracles moved through space smoothly. It had taken the ship nearly a week to return from the Gamma Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant. After only a few days, the crew and the ship were in visual contact with their final destination, Starbase Seventy-two.

“So what do you think, Thý’ella?” Vausees asked the guest sitting to her far left in the guest seat. She inquired of their Angelikós visitor.

Thý’ella nodded, her gaze fixed on the starbase, which was growing in size as the Heracles approached. “Impressive,” she said as she sat back and continued to observe.

“Lieutenant, hail the station operations officer and announce our intent to dock in the primary docking bay,” Vausees ordered as she returned her gaze to the image of the Starbase.

Jonton nodded and began carrying out the order that was given to him. A moment later, an all clear chime returned to his console. “We are all clear to proceed to the Alpha Quadrant doors, which will open once we are within fifteen hundred kilometers.”

“Make it so, mister Neif, smooth and steady,” Vausees said, nodding and looking over at Trever.

Trever nodded and adjusted the Heracles’ course towards the Alpha Quadrant doors. “Course set in, Captain.”

—a few minutes later—

As the Heracles approached the Alpha Quadrant doors, they began to slide open; at first, just a sliver of light seeped through the crack between the two massive doors, and then more as the door edged even further open.

When the two massive doors were fully retracted, ships of the Excelsior and Nova classes could be seen moored to the upper arms.

Vausees stood up and folded her arms behind her back as the Heracles cleared the doors and began its descent to the lower arms within the docking bay. “Mister Jonton, set the ship to condition blue and activate the shipwide intercom,” she told the Lieutenant.

Jonton complied, and a whistle rang out throughout the ship as it continued its descent. “Communications are open, Captain.”

“Attention crew, we will be docking at Starbase Seventy-two in a few moments.” This ship will be docked at the station. I’d like everyone to pack their bags for some much-needed R&R. If you need to leave the Starbase, check with your Department Heads to ensure that all necessary paperwork has been finalized. Furthermore, I issue an order to all of you to enjoy this because we don’t know when the next one will be. “Captain Vausees, out.”

She turned and nodded to Jonton, who closed the ship’s intercom. Reaching up Vausees tapped her ComBadge.

 “Chief Tanner, report to my ready room at your earliest convenience,” she said, reaching up and tapping her ComBadge once more.

“Commander Bettencourt, the bridge is yours,” she said as she turned to go to her ready room.

—Captain’s Ready Room—

A soft chime sounded at the door to the ready room as soon as the moor’s attached themselves to the Heracles’ outer hatches. Looking around, Vausees heard the chime and said, “Enter.”

When Charles entered the ready room, the doors slid shut behind him. “Evening, Charles,” Vausees said to her Chief Engineer. He returned her greeting.

“Vausees, what can I do for you?” As he took a seat across from her, he asked her. He was aware that this was a semi-formal request, and that addressing her by her name rather than her rank would not result in a reprimand.

“I need you to set up a couple of rotating skeleton crews from your engineering department to assist the station’s engineering crews when you have time.  I’d like to have the entire ship inspected. Any system that needs to be repaired, updated, or replaced will be completed,” she said, looking at Charles. “And Charles, that doesn’t mean you do it alone,” she said, leaning back in her soft leather chair.

Charles looked at her as if he were a child who had been chastised for doing too much and not spreading the work around. Vausees is aware that the Heracles was his baby, and that he disliked foreign hands touching her systems. “If I need to, Charles, I’ll make an order,” Vausees said, noticing the look in his eyes. “This is why I’m having you set up the crews, with you only being a part of one of them.” “That is an order, Charles,” she said. “You are to enjoy yourself and take some much-needed downtime.”

Vausees turned to the holographic monitor, “If I’m not mistaken, Charles, Cho should be on the station,” she said with a grin as she returned her gaze to the man. He had a puzzled expression on his face. “When we returned to the Alpha Quadrant, I made a call.” She is expecting you, so pack your belongings and leave my ship until I call for you.”

Charles nodded and rose to make his way to the exit. “You have a terribly wicked sense of humor, Vausees,” he said as he exited the ready room and entered the bridge, which was now mostly empty except for Cody, Thý’ella, and Debrah.

Stardate: 74736.98

Time: 0830 hours

Location: Alpha Quadrant – Starbase 72

—Captain Vausees and Commander Debrah’s Living Quarters – Living Room—

It had been nearly a month since the Heracles and its crew had returned from the Gamma Quadrant. The majority of the crew had taken the opportunity to rest, with only a few opting to transfer to other ships. Vausees could understand how those who had transferred felt because she was getting antsy herself.

Vausees had her hands behind her back as she paced around their living quarters on Starbase 72, as she and Debrah had been barred from the kitchen area of their quarters by their now closest and best friend, Thý’ella. Debrah watched as her love paced a near-perfect path into the floor decking.

“Baby, come sit down before you cut a hole in the decking,” Debrah said, her bright green eyes fixed on her love.

Vausees came to a halt and looked at her. She knew her love was joking, but she couldn’t help but smile as she walked over and sat on the soft, plush loveseat.

“I know you’re eager to get back out there and do what you do best,” Debrah said as she looked into her love’s light blue eyes, “but can we at least enjoy the knowledge that we don’t have to put ourselves, at least for now, in harm’s way?”

Vausees nodded as she recognized the logic in what Debrah had told her. “I’ll try,” she said as she lifted Debrah’s hands and kissed them lightly.

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened, and Thý’ella poked her head out, “Red or White wine?” She inquired of the two women who were engrossed in each other’s embrace on the loveseat.

They were both aware that Thý’ella was in the kitchen preparing something for the three of them, but they had no idea what it was; now, a sudden inquiry from the woman who had taken over the kitchen had caught both Vausees and Debrah off guard. They exchanged glances for a moment before saying, “Red.”

Thý’ella smiled at them and said, “You two are so cute when you do things like that,” before disappearing behind the closed door.

— twenty minutes later —

The kitchen doors opened, and Thý’ella walked out, setting three wine glasses on the table she had just set. She then walked back into the kitchen, returning with a large plate containing a turkey. After a few moments, the table was covered in food that emitted mouthwatering aromas, making both Vausees and Debrah salivate.

Vausees had stood up and offered to help as soon as she saw the turkey, but Thý’ella had silenced her in her own way. Now that the three of them were seated at the table, it was Derah’s turn to speak.

“Thý’ella…how?” was all she could say as she examined the spread in front of the three women.

“I have been studying and practicing on the holodeck’s, since I found out about this celebration a few weeks ago,” Thý’ella said as she began to carve the turkey and place pieces of turkey on the plates in front of Vausees and Debrah; she served herself last, as was customary, or at least what she learned from the holodeck programs that she had selected.

After all of the roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie had been consumed, Thý’ella stood up and disappeared back into the kitchen. She came back and sat, but not before placing two brownie truffles in front of Vausees and Debrah.

Vausees smiled at Debrah after Thý’ella had gone into the kitchen and took her hand in hers. Vausees slipped out of her chair and took a knee now that the truffles were in front of them and she could see Debrah looking at the small diamond that sat on the ring that was carefully placed onto a strawberry that had been carved into a rose.

“Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Debrah Fergouson?” Vausees inquired as she knelt beside Debrah.

Debrah’s eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at the ring tucked in the center of the rose. She turned her head to look at Vausees and nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. Vausees encircled her in her arms and kissed her passionately. The ring was carefully removed from the strawberry rose and placed on Debrah’s shaking hand.

Thý’ella sighed softly and leaned back in her chair, “Now I need to plan a wedding,” she said sarcastically and defeatedly before laughing and joining Vausees and Debrah.

Debrah gave Thý’ella a playful glare, which she noticed. “Hey, this was her idea,” she said, pointing to Vausees, who had a grin on her lips.

“I must admit, it was my idea.”

Debrah shook her head, looking down at the gleaming stone on her finger. She then returned her gaze to the two women in front of her. “I love it,” she said softly.

Vausees stepped out of the cottage she and her fiance had rented for their holiday as the sun began to rise over the waves on the horizon. The sun warmed the trill’s skin as she stood with her eyes closed, loving the carefree wind that had begun to blow off the ocean. Debrah, who was lying in bed in the other room under a light, a silky sheet with a pleasant smile on her face as she looked at Vausees, noticed her taut, smooth, toned legs as a breeze kicked the sides of her long button-up shirt to the side.

She turned to face Debrah with the same smile on her face.

“Good morning, my love,” Vausees said, creeping back into the bungalow and climbing onto the bed.

“Morning,” Debrah said as she reached out and gently brought Vausees into her arms, kissing her deeply and returning the welcome as she laid her forehead on Vausees’s.

“How do you feel about us doing some traditional scuba diving?” Vausees questioned, gradually raising herself to straddle Debrah’s legs.

“I believe that would be a terrific idea,” she replied, sitting up and resting her hands on Vausee’s hips, “it’s been a very long time since I did anything on Earth that didn’t include work.”

Vausees smiled and slipped from the bed to change, but not before dropping the top she was wearing and tormenting Debrah, who shook her head as she watched.

‘She’ll be the death of me,’ she thought to herself as she tossed the sheet aside and stepped out to follow her soon-to-be bride.

*** Half an hour later ***

The bubbles rushed to the surface as soon as they exited the breathing device. Two women’s skin was caressed by crystal clear warm waters as they swam into a school of tropical fish, which dispersed as the two women neared.

A gentle, muted giggle could be heard as bubbles exited Vausees’s mouthpiece. She turned to face Debrah, who had her back to her as if she was inspecting something in a neighboring reef. She swam over to her and joined her, her attention locked on whatever Debrah was thinking about.

Debrah grasped a diving knife in her left hand, and in her right, a little thing. She turned to face Vausees and motioned for them to surface with her head. Vausees nodded, and the two of them rose to the surface.

As Vausees surfaced a few moments later, Debrah sheathed the knife and removed her diving mask. The two went to a leased boat and boarded it. Debrah placed the thing on the deck as she drew herself from the sea, closely followed by Vausees.

They went over to a table after putting on towels. They looked over the object Debrah had uncovered on the reef. Debrah carefully removed part of the residue that was encasing the object.

“What exactly are we dealing with here?” Vausees queried, peeping behind Debrah’s back.

“I’m not sure, but I’m sure Starfleet will want this,” she added as a cleaning brush revealed a solitary Xindi sign.

Vausees softly took the object and examined the symbol, which she understood immediately. “Are you aware of what you’ve got here?” she inquired, pointing to the mark.

Debrah sighed and shook her head. Vausees took out a PADD she’d brought with her and scanned the Starfleet Archives for the frigid temporal conflicts and the Xindi’s attempts to eradicate humanity.

“This is a fragment of one of the Xindi’s weaponry,” Vausees stated as she placed the PADD next to the thing on the table.

Debrah looked at the image on the PADD before shifting her focus to the object. “I believed they had all of the weapon platform pieces,” Debrah said as she examined the object. “That had made it through the Earth’s atmosphere,” she explained as she returned her focus to Vausees.

“That’s what was mentioned, but this is a missing fragment,” she explained as she stared at Debrah. “It goes without saying that this artifact should be kept for archive purposes.”

Debrah nodded as she examined the object. “If it is Xindi, this will cause a stir among the fleet because the last report said that all parts had been collected and that there were no outstanding pieces.”

Vausees nodded in agreement with what her soon-to-be bride had said.

*** Several hours later ***

As an Officer left their home, Vausees and Debrah sat close. They had returned the item to Starfleet as needed, but the Xindi-object had to be confirmed, which caused some controversy. They both glanced at one other while they sat in quiet. “That was definitely needless,” Debrah sighed as she stood up, walked over to a bottle of wine, and poured them both a glass.

“I agree, but it’s the politics of discovering a previously unknown missing piece,” Vausees said as she accepted the glass. “Thank you,” she replied as Debrah took a seat beside her.

“However, why the interrogations?” “Being probed like that made me feel like a criminal for a time,” Debrah said after taking a sip from her wine glass.

“I agree that they were a little too rigorous in ensuring that the object wasn’t a forgery.”

Debrah sighed and smiled as she looked over at the countertop. Vausees grinned as she laid down her glass and looked over to where she was staring. She then stepped up to the counter and took the trinket that had piqued her fiance’s interest. She placed a tiny box in Debrah’s now outstretched hand when she returned to her.

“Open it,” Vausees urged as she stared into her fiance’s sparkling emerald eyes.

Debrah cautiously raised the top of the black velvet box, and tears began to gather in her eyes. In the box were two rings, one with an emerald and the other with blue topaz. Vausees slid the blue topaz ring onto Debrah’s left ring finger. Debrah did the same with Vausees’ emerald ring.

“Oh, baby, these are gorgeous,” Debrah said, holding out her hand to inspect the blue topaz set in the white rose gold ring.

 “Give me your hand,” Vausees replied, holding her hand out to Debrah.

Debrah put her palm into Vausees’s, and the stones began to shine and vibrate as soon as the two rings touched.

“The closer we are to each other, the greater the vibrations,” Vausees said as she lifted Debrah’s hand and kissed each knuckle tenderly.

Debrah rose to her feet and softly snatched Vausees’ hand. Vausees noticed the sudden passion in her fiance’s eyes when she looked up. She stood up and followed Debrah to the bedroom, a smile on her lips. Debrah softly began to kiss Vausees along her neck as they lay down beside each other. Vausees’s mouth twitched with delight as she clutched Debrah to her.

 *** A while later ***

A soft breeze stroked Vausees’ back as she lay there next to Debrah. As the two basked in each other’s warmth, she played with Vausee’s hair.

“Merry Christmas, my love,” Vausees whispered as she rolled onto her side, her arm covering her bare chest as she gazed at Debrah.

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Debrah said as she leaned in and kissed Vausees.