Back In the Game
Posted on Thu Oct 9th, 2025 @ 8:36pm by Captain Daegan Baas & Commander Julianna Raihan-Baas - Intel Operative
1,857 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
What was Lost is Found
Location: USS Valkyrie
Timeline: MD 4 - 0500 (Prior to What was Lost is Found)
The office, devoid of personal touches, had felt progressively smaller over the months she'd been on board. Oh, it had been nice spending time with her husband. No question. And she loved him. Also no question. Had it sidetracked her in her career. Yes. Also no question. Jules looked down at the PADD in her hand, dark hair falling forward, shielding her face from view, as she reread the document. Typical for Captain Sevryn. Succinct.
Seven words that would, once she shared them, change everything. IF she accepted. IF she chose to go back to doing what she did best. She leaned back in her seat, tossing the PADD on her desk, and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. Resting her head on her knees, Jules dropped into deep thought. Pros and Cons. Good and bad. While Daegan snored beside her, she often lay awake. Her workouts had become progressively harder and longer. And then came the first bread crumbs in the data coming across her desk. Maybe that's where all the restlessness came from. The hunt, she thought, it's calling to me.
As she often did, when an answer wasn't forthcoming, she headed to the gym for a hard workout. Thoughts came easier when she was in motion. With each strike, each kick, the clutter fell away. Professionally, the path she was on held no benefit for her though personally, it had been nice. In fact, good. Personal versus professional. Wife or intelligence operative with a chance to run her own team going after an enemy that she had helped identify.
Drenched in sweat, she ended on a hard series of kicks as the realization came to her. I can't let this go.
After a shower and a quick change, Jules was back in her office, leaning against the side of her desk, she reread it and sent along her acknowledgement. Sighing, she got to her feet. Time to get going.
[Captain's Quarters]
Having woken up alone he knew she had something on her mind, and long experience had told him to let her sweat it out. Early on he had tried to help her work through whatever it was that was bothering her, but that usually only gave her more to think about, prolonging the issue. As a result he would skip his workout this this morning and get ready for the day.
By the time she returned he had showered and was shaving. Standing there in his pants, bare footed and bare chested, with his hair loose and spilling over his shoulders. Hearing the door he splashed some water on his face and grabbed a towel as he padded out to greet her as he dried his face. "Get everything worked out?"
"Yeah," Jules answered. "And we need to talk. Breakfast in your dining room?"
Tossing the towel on the back of the chair he then pulled on his shirt. He could tell from her tone he was probably not gonna like what was about to go down. With one hand he pulled his hair from under his shirt and with the other he motioned to the table. "Sounds ominous. What's bothering you?"
Never one to mince words, at least between the two of them, she came straight to the point. "I've been recalled," Jules said as she sat down across from him. "I'm to report immediately."
Taking a deep breath, he had expected bad news but not that. "On who's order, or is that something you can't say?"
"Captain Sevryn, Starfleet Intelligence," Jules said. "Beyond that, I can't tell you anything else, at least not without permission from my superiors." Her expression softened because she knew how much he hated being out of the loop on anything. "Sorry. Not that I don't want to, I just..." She shrugged helplessly. "Can't."
"Typical cloak and dagger...glad to see nothing's changed there. I assume you'll need one of the shuttles or does Intel have some off the books ship coming to get you?"
"They sent a transport," Jules said. "Should be rendezvousing with us soon." She leaned her slightly to one side, the side of her mouth ticking upward slightly, "just enough time to pack and ... a proper good-bye. That is, if the ship can spare you for a few hours."
He had been able to control his anger at the situation but no longer. "Seriously! You tell me that you're leaving at the eleventh hour, didn't tell me anything about what was going on, didn't include me in the decision. And to top it off Intel could even be bothered to send the Captain of this ship, ME, that they were taking one of my officers...my wife!" Moving away he stood before the replicator one hand on the bulkhead as he leaned against it. After hitting the wall he let out a heavy sigh, "I understand duty calls....I do but...".
"But what, Daegan Baas," Jule said as she shot to her feet. "I'm a Commander in Starfleet and I follow orders same as you do. No, I didn't ask you first, same as you didn't when you took command of this ship."
He turned taking a breath. Stepping back over to her, taking her by the shoulders, running his hands down them as he pulled her hands up into his. "You're right. I didn't mention it to you first...so you got me there. As to the 'but', ...when you are out there, doing whatever, digging into who knows what...there's nothing I can do. If some thing were to happen to you I know I would never get the truth from Sevryn or anyone else. I'd never know if something actually happened or if they just cut you loose to save their own asses."
"That," Jules said as she looked up at him, "is a different thing entirely. We could work out a plan, you and me. I can't tell you what's going on but we can work out a way of me letting you know its alright."
Even if she wasn't going to be undercover somewhere, he knew she couldn't just take a communicator with her; it would be to easy to find, unsecure and could compromise her if undercover. "You got some spy-craft that will allow you to get a hold of me without compromising you? Or did you have something else in mind?"
Frowning slightly, Jules gave it some thought and came upon an idea. "Make sure," she said, "that whenever the ship is near a starbase that you alone go get yourself a cup of coffee or a meal on the base. If there's anything to let you know, I'll find a way to pass it along. But," and hear she held up an index finger, "if anyone sits down with you, for any reason, no message. Can you manage that?"
"With our exploratory mission there is no telling when we'll be near a Federation Star base, even with the Slipstream Drive. Beside involving others might put you at risk, if they were to be compromised." Giving her a playful smirk, "You're the spook, there's got to be a way for us to communicate that won't raise any eyebrows."
Jules slipped out of his embrace and leaned against the nearest piece of furniture, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, she gave the matter some thought and rejected idea after idea until finally one came to her. "What about advertising? Not so much a thing in the Federation but it happens now and again. Ridiculous pieces of advertising. I'll send them to you and include a code word within the text. One for I'm fine, another for trouble, that sort of thing."
Junk mail had been used for centuries for all manner of things. Mainly to bait people into various purchases or the spreading of malicious programming, and was still in use today. "That could work. Maybe even for two way communication? You wouldn't happen to have a cypher we could use for coding would you?"
"Cyphers can be broken," Jules said. "One word in a message might not be noticed, but a pattern of language that repeats? Not nearly as safe. It'll be hard enough getting junk mail to you when you're out in the middle of nowhere."
"True. Some much for lengthier messages. Am I to assume we will need to conceal your departure, so that you officially remain here, or are they not going to that level of subterfuge?"
"Officially, I'm being recalled to Earth," Jules said. "You'll have someone new in the job here, so, no need for subterfuge on that score. And the Valkyrie being so far out, its not surprising that we'd be out of touch, unable to regularly communicate."
Daegan did like the situation at all. But he also knew that be stuck on a starship and dealing with things from afar was not grating at her. It also wasn't the first time he'd seen her get...edgy...while aboard ship and out of the thick of things. He was sure Sizia would have her official transfer orders soon, if she didn't already.
There where three parts of him each with a different point of view. Daegan wanted to fight the situation, Baas' collection of memories and experiences were conflicted, and the Captain in him said that the orders would have been issued if there wasn't justification. No matter what he did he was going to lose.
Taking a deep breath he let it out slowly. "Well...I'll promote someone from within to replace you as head of the department. Any recommendations?"
"Strictly from a seniority viewpoint," Jules said, "it would have to be Kellerman."
"I'll take a look at his record." Stepping closer, "In the mean..."
Gamma shift was still on duty, and the duty officer's hail came over the comms. "Bridge to Captain Baas."
Looking at Jules as he responded, "Baas here."
"Pardon the interruption sir but the Sulu has hailed and is coming up on us fast in slipstream."
"Understood. Acknowledge their hail, drop from warp, and stand by."
"Aye, Sir. Bridge out."
His eyes never had never left his wife but now her departure was all the more real. "Well something must really be stirring in the weeds if they sent an Odyssey class starship after you."
Jules nodded and stepped in, heedless of regulations, to kiss her husband and whisper, "you have no idea. I'll be in touch as soon as I can. Check your mail, love."
Grabbing her as she stepped back he pulled her into a deep kiss, wrapping her in his arms.
Jules kissed him back, how could she not, and let the moment draw out, linger, the last moments of comfort and safety before things changed. And then, finally, she drew her courage together and stepped back. "Permission to leave the ship, Captain?"
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as her hand slipped from his. "Granted...reluctantly."
Commander Julianna Raihan-Baas
Starfleet Intelligence
USS Razor
and
Captain Daegan Baas
CO
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