Ralok’s shelter turned out to be a network of caves carved into the mountainous terrain above a nearby town. They were greeted at the mouth of the cave by a Romulan doctor, who immediately set to work examining da Costa. His frown worried Raisa but she let him work in peace.

“I need to operate right away,” The doctor finally announced. He motioned to his assistants to take da Costa and the young Lieutenant was whisked away.

The weight of command always weighed particularly heavily on Raisa in moments like this. Watching da Costa being taken to surgery, dread coiled in her stomach that this would be the last time she’d see him alive. She’d lost people under her command before, but it never got any easier. Each one of them remained with her, their names etched on her soul for all of eternity. 

The gentle pressure from someone’s hand on her shoulder snapped Raisa from her revere. She turned to find Callahan looking at her, her gaze soft. It had been a long time since Callahan had looked at her with anything other than anger or hurt in her eyes. Raisa nodded her thanks. She didn’t have the luxury of wallowing. They still had a mission to accomplish. 

“If you come this way, commander.” Ralok motioned for them to follow. “You can rest and eat while waiting for news of your officer.” 

He led them down a well-lit tunnel which extended deep into the mountains until they reached a large chamber. Three more tunnels led off in different directions. This facility was extensive and well-equipped. As they were escorted from one chamber to the next, Raisa noticed cots, replicators, tables, chairs and weapons; a lot of weapons.

“It seems like you were expecting a Klingon attack,” Raisa said as they were led into yet another chamber.

“The Romulan Star Empire is dead,” Ralok said. “We cannot rely on help from the Republic or the Free State, so we must be ready to defend ourselves from Klingons or anyone else. We’ve been preparing for some time.” They’d been shown to a chamber set up as a makeshift living area with a handful of cots and a small bare metal dining table. “Rest here for now. I will bring food shortly.”

“Now what?” Tanner asked once they were alone.

“Now we wait,” Raisa told him as she lowered herself slowly onto one of the cots. “The surgery will probably take a few hours, at least.”

“We can use the time to figure out how we reach the capital from here,” Callahan told him.

“We need to figure out where we are first, and determine just how far we are from the capital,” Raisa pointed out.

Tanner paced slowly back and forth in the centre of the chamber. “If the Klingons declared martial law, it’d be easier for us to herd cats than get where we’re goin’.”

“If I understand your officer correctly then he is right,” Ralok’s voice preceded him as he emerged from the tunnel carrying a tray holding three plates. “The Klingons have shut the planet’s transit system and they’ve locked down the planetary transporter network.”

“How far are we from the capital?” Raisa asked

Ralok set the tray down near the cots and handed a plate to Raisa, “In your Federation units, I believe we are approximately five thousand kilometres away.”

“Not exactly the next town over,” Tanner mused darkly as he tore off a piece of bread and popped it in his mouth. Raisa smiled as she watched the young Lieutenant’s face react to the taste. His face tightened and his mouth turned down. They weren’t in a position to be picky. When she tried the bread herself, Raisa understood Tanner’s reaction. It was dry and bland.

Callahan pushed herself forcefully off the cot, upsetting the plate of food on her lap. “There must be some way for us to reach the capital.” 

“Before the Klingons invaded, I was Chief of the local militia. There’s a small transporter alcove in my office. If we can get there, I can override the Klingon lockout and beam you to Rhalon City.” Ralok said. “The Militia headquarters is well defended. Getting in will not be easy, however, there may be a way.”

“Go on,” Raisa prompted.

“There are tunnels underneath the town, remnants of the ancient sewer system,” Ralok explained. “They lead to the building’s storage bay.”

Tanner frowned. “Sounds like a security flaw waitin’ to be exploited.”

“We have systems to prevent anyone doing what I’m suggesting,” Ralok told him.

Raisa quirked an inquisitive eyebrow. “Can you get us past them?”

“I believe I can,” Ralok nodded.

The group spent the next hour developing a plan to infiltrate the militia headquarters and access the transporter in Ralok’s office. With the day’s events catching up with them, Raisa was glad when Ralok retreated promising to give them a chance to rest. Rest, however, was hard to come by.

Raisa found herself tossing and turning on the cot. Opposite her, Tanner lay on his back snoring lightly. On another cot, Callahan lay on her side and turned towards the rockface. Unsure of how much time passed, Raisa finally climbed off the cot and made her way into the connecting chamber. This one was set up as a makeshift mess with tables, chairs and replicators.

Taking a seat at the nearest table, Raisa let her head fall forward. This mission had been one catastrophe after another. Raisa could only hope things got better from here, starting with da Costa pulling through. She was saved from brooding over things further by the arrival of Callahan.

“Can’t sleep either?” Raisa asked.

Callahan took the seat opposite Raisa and suppressed a yawn. “Who could sleep with your tossing and turning and Tanner’s snoring?”

“I forgot what a light sleeper you are,” A smile crept onto Raisa’s lips as she waded through memories of Callahan grumbling while Raisa tried to get comfortable. 

A similar smile crossed Callahan’s lips. “It’s not my fault it takes you an hour to fall asleep, after turning over and over.” The smile faded as she studied Raisa’s face. It felt like she was looking into Raisa’s mind, reading every thought. “He’s going to be okay.”

“I hope so,” Raisa said with a long sigh. “Is this where you tell me ‘I told you so’?”

Callahan looked down at her hands. “This is where I tell you I was wrong.”

Raisa couldn’t keep the surprise she felt from her face, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed by the way the corners of Callahan’s lips tugged into a smile.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lost for words before,” Callahan’s eyes sparkled in a way Raisa hadn’t seen in a long time. “But you were right about da Costa. We’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. I was wrong to object to him.”

It was nice to hear Callahan admit to that. In the short time Raisa had known Rafael da Costa, he’d struck her as a sweet guy whose confidence in his abilities as a pilot grew by the day. She hoped to continue watching the young officer develop under Captain Henris’ command.

Watching Callahan brush her blond hair from her eyes, Raisa was struck by an intense feeling of familiarity, which mingled with guilt and shame. “I was wrong too.” Callahan shot her a quizzical look, prompting Raisa to clarify. “I thought I could convince you that a poly relationship could work for you, despite your reservations. I should never have pushed you into something you weren’t comfortable with.”

“Is now really the time for this conversation?” Callahan shifted in her chair.

“I’ve almost died twice today,” Raisa told her. “And there’s a good chance we won’t make it off this planet alive. I’d rather not go to my grave with you still hating me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Callahan said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve never hated you. It was just,” She looked away. “I was hurt, and so angry. I held on to that anger too long and let it fester.”

“So where do we go from here?”

“We could try having a conversation that doesn’t devolve into a sniping match,” A smile pulled at Callahan’s lips. “I think that would be a good start.”

Raisa returned her smile, “Well we’ve been talking to each other for a few minutes now without sniping. I’d say we’re off to a good start.”

A comfortable silence briefly fell between them before Callahan added, “And just for the record, you didn’t push me into anything. I wanted to be with you and thought I could share you with Ashraf. I was wrong and didn’t handle it very well.”

“Neither of us did,” Raisa admitted, her voice thick with sadness and regret.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention and they watched as Ralok emerged from one of the tunnels. “Your officer has come through his surgery, and he’s quite anxious to see you.” He turned and started back down the tunnel. Raisa shot out of her chair and hurried after him, following Ralok through the warren of tunnels.

“Please stay still,” The exasperated voice of the same doctor they’d met earlier echoed down the tunnel. “Your commander is on her way.”

They entered the makeshift medical bay to find the doctor trying to keep da Costa lying down but the muscular pilot was too strong. He caught sight of Raisa just as he managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed. His deep brown eyes lit up at the sight of her and relief washed over his features.

“Did you think we’d left you behind?” Raisa kept her tone light but it was obvious from his reaction that she was right.

The tips of da Costa’s ears began turning pink. “I thought you might’ve.” He admitted bashfully.

“I’m gonna let that slide, just this once,” Raisa told him, wagging her finger. “But only because we haven’t served together long and you don’t know me well enough yet.” She laid a hand on his forearm. “I don’t leave my people behind.”

Raisa had been so focused on reaching da Costa, she didn’t realise Callahan had followed until she spoke, “Especially not when we owe you our lives, Lieutenant.” Callahan said. “That was some impressive flying. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.”

The blush on da Costa’s ears began spreading to his cheeks. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“How is he?” Raisa asked, turning to the Romulan doctor.

“My knowledge of human anatomy is limited, but I’ve done the best I can,” The doctor admitted. “I’ve repaired the spleen but it will be tender for a few days and excessive movement could undo all my hard work, causing it to rupture again.” He looked at Raisa, “You should get him to one of your physicians as soon as possible.”

Raisa nodded. “I intend to, but we have a job to do first.”

“I’d prefer he remains here to rest,” The doctor told them. “But I doubt there’s much point in trying to convince you to leave him here while you charge off.”

“No,” Both Raisa and da Costa said simultaneously.

The doctor looked unimpressed. “In that case, I’d like him to get a few more hours of rest before he starts to exert himself.”

“That, won’t be a problem,” Raisa replied. “We won’t be going anywhere until tomorrow.”

“Good, then you can go.” The doctor dismissed them crisply.

Raisa helped da Costa ease off the biobed and led him back through the tunnels to where Ralok had set them up. Tanner hadn’t moved. He was still lying on his back and snoring lightly. Raisa got da Costa settled comfortably on his own cot before lying back down on her own. She would still toss and turn as she tried to get comfortable, but she felt more peaceful this time around.